A. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to seed planting and, in particular, to seed metering in for example agricultural planting for a variety of different types of seeds and conditions.
This invention allows a user to dispense agricultural seed and the like in a substantially uniform and singulated manner. It can be used in a grain drill or other agricultural planting implements. It allows such options as maintenance of a desired spacing between agricultural seeds during planting while decreasing the row width required so as to increase the propagated area of a given agricultural plot of land.
B. Problems in the Art
A variety of devices and methods for planting seeds exist. The apparatus and process for planting of certain seeds depends on a variety of factors including but not limited to type, size, and shapes of seed, ground characteristics, row width and plant spacing (if planted in rows), etc. Many types of agricultural planting, for example, benefit from accurate and nondestructive handling of seeds. Many conventional planters, therefore, are quite complex and expensive. Moreover, sheer size of the mechanisms used for seed metering make them cumbersome and inflexible, particularly when attempting to incorporate them in relatively small spaces or relatively close together.
This invention specifically addresses problems in the art of planting various agricultural seeds through the use of a grain drill or similar agricultural implement currently gaining increased acceptance for use in no-till farming techniques. Current seed metering systems used for drills are inaccurate, expensive to produce, and have a tendency to damage seed during distribution.
Further, the metering capabilities of the existing state of the art grain drills excludes its usage for crops such as corn and sorghum because of the need to singularly place the seed during planting. Collectively, these two crops constitute forty percent of the approximately 242 million acres currently devoted to agricultural production in the United States. If grain drills could be made more versatile and used for crops such as corn, sorghum, wheat, soybeans and other grains such as edible beans, barley, oats, etc., an average cultivator or producer of these crops could accomplish his seeding without the use of two separate implements, such as a grain drill and planter.
Corn planting devices, for example, tend to utilize rather complex, large structure to increase accuracy and the handling capabilities of the seeds. This in turn limits the ability to utilize such seed meters in very close row spacings. It also makes the manufacturing cost and subsequent purchase price of such machines very costly. Therefore, farmers are required to buy at least one other planting device, usually a grain drill, to accomplish closer row spacing. However, as stated above, current seed metering aparatus for grain drills do not provide the needed advantages regarding accuracy and careful handling of seeds.
The importance of the above-mentioned problems to farmers is a very practical one. Reduced accuracy translates in to use of more seeds or loss of plant population. Damage to seeds results in reduced plant population. Inaccuracy or inexact operation also contributes to poor effectiveness and efficiency of the planter. Complex structure requires more and costlier materials and assembly. In the end, each of these matters results in increased cost either to the farmer in equipment or in results after planting. Many present grain drill systems also use a fluted feed cup which may or may not be adjustable to adapt to seeds of different size and shape.
There is a need in the art for a device which improves upon the problems and deficiencies in the art, and which is, for example, easy and quick to use, effective, reliable, and compact. While devices which attempt to achieve these objectives exist traditional for planters (as opposed to drills), deficiencies still exist, and a device is needed to singulate and meter seeds for use with grain drills. The need also exists for a seed meter which is less costly to manufacture, assemble, and operate.
It is therefore a principal objective of the present invention to provide a seed metering device which improves upon or solves the problems and deficiencies existing in the art.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a seed metering device wherein seed is singulated and metered in a manner which will deliver agricultural seed at a chosen rate, evenly, and deter any damage to the seeds.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a seed metering device which accurately spaces agricultural seed within a seed trench or furrow.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which deters problems with singulation, such as carry over or missing seeds.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is applicable to a wide variety of seeds.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is relatively non-complex in structure while maintaining high accuracy.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is very flexible as to types of seeds in planting, as well as the speed or rate of planting, and which can operate at substantially higher speeds or rates of planting than is presently conventional on grain drills.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is efficient and economical, including which respect to the type and cost of materials, the power requirement, and resulting plant population accuracy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is durable and easy to manufacture and maintain.
These and other features, objectives, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the accompanying specification.